There are many applications where it is desirable to apply to a surface colour coded markings or indicia, that is, markings or indicia having an identifying colour particular thereto associated therewith. For example, it is frequently desirable to apply colour coded digits or letters to a carrier surface so that their combination and arrangement provides a colour coded information display which gives a high visual impact. One notable application is the applying of colour coded indicia, e.g. colour coded numbers or letters, to a file folder or the like, or a strip to be applied to a file folder or the like for purposes of providing a colour coded filing system. Such a colour coded filing system is highly advantageous where a large number of files are involved such as occurs in government departments, insurance and other large companies, hospitals and other institutions.
In such a large filing system, very frequently the file identification is constituted by a number assigned to that file. That is, the file has a reference number, and a typical reference or file identification number for the casualty insurance business might be the policy number 7367060. To provide for colour coding, ten mutually distinctive colours for the ten digits "0" through "9" inclusive are selected and each of these colours is assigned to a specific one of the ten digits. Thus, for example, the colour pink may be assigned to the digit "0," the colour red to the digit "1," the colour orange to the digit "2," etc.
It is a matter of choice as to how many of the digits making up the file reference number should be colour coded. It will be appreciated that the greater the number of digits that are colour coded, the greater will be the visual distinctiveness of the file to preclude misfiling. In other words, when the file reference numbers are colour identified in this way, misfiles are easily located because a misfile breaks the otherwise consistent pattern of colour inherent in a number series. Reference to a specific file is fast and direct because the colour blocks are arranged at the extreme edge of the folder and can be distinguished without "fanning". The ten colours that identify the ten digits are soon memorized and "read" as the numbers they represent.
In the above example, 7367060, typically the last five digits 67060 would be colour coded and the first two digits, i.e. the prefix 73, would be printed in black without colour.
In the case of a nine digit number, such as a Social Security number, incorporated into a Social Security filing system, the number might be say 127367060. Here it is desirable to colour code the last six digits, 367060 and to print the first three in black only. There could also be different arrangements of sub groups such as:
127 - 36 - 70 - 60 PA2 127 - 367 - 060
or
where the 3, 6, 7, 0, 6 and 0 are colour coded and the 127 is printed black.
Various production methods have been proposed and used to colour identify the reference indicia. One method is to manufacture ten individual self adhesive labels each in its distinctive colour. The labels are then manually affixed to folders according to the required number sequence. This method, although extremely cumbersome, does give the required flexibility in the colour identification of random or discontinuous reference numbers. Another method is to print the colour blocks directly on the folders. Usually when this is done only the last two, or terminal digits, are identified by colour blocks and the method has little applicability. Still another method is to first print the numbers in their distinctive colours on paper strips by running the strips through a series of printing steps. The strips are afterwards glued around the edge of the folders. For discontinuous reference numbers the printing of the colours is sometimes done on punched cards in a series of sorting and printing operations, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,907. A typical example of a filing system with a discontinuous number series is the "in force" policy file of a casualty insurance company.
In any large filing set up or changeover project when it is desired to colour identify the reference indicia as above described it usually takes many weeks to prepare the colour coded folders. Or alternately, the changeover process goes on for many weeks or months.
The present invention provides an apparatus which overcomes the difficulties and tediousness presently encountered in such tasks as the preparation of colour coded files or the like and enables the colour coding to be carried out extremely rapidly and automatically at great savings of time and money.